RINGS: Harnessing the Complexity of Modern Electromagnetic Environments for Resilient Wireless Communications

我们都期待每年手持设备的下载速度越来越快--这是无线通信带宽的摩尔定律。为了保持数据速率的持续增长，我们需要利用我们可用的每一项技术特征，并最大限度地利用它。一个特别的挑战是改善封闭环境中的无线通信，比如房间或建筑，与自由空间传播相比，这些环境中的信号以一种混乱的方式回响，似乎受到了无可救药的扰乱。一种方法是使用可编程的墙壁或天花板安装的像素化表面来塑造混响波，以提高到目标接收器的数据传输速率。可靠提高数据速率的科学技术是这项工作的主题。这门科学是通过智能地使用所有封闭空间共有的随机混响特性，结合我们可编程的像素化表面实现的波浪控制来推进的。其结果是进一步提高无线通信数据速率，即使在当前技术严重障碍或无法完全运行的情况下也是如此。该项目为研究和教育提供了增强的基础设施，通过发展一个多机构的努力，分享所有合作伙伴经过验证的技术和经验，从而将工程文化和文科文化交织在一起。在光谱拥挤的混响环境中，由于多次散射和由此产生的许多射线路径的干扰而产生的异常复杂和敏感，通常被认为是弹性通信和频谱管理的诅咒。这一努力旨在通过开发新颖的可重新配置的智能表面(RIS)来颠覆这种说法，这种表面利用这种复杂性来获取大量的环境自由度，以便主动修改和控制电磁环境。开发的RIS能够在空间和时间上操纵从它们反射的波前，以便在真实空间中创建热点或冷点，并且它们能够将信号频移到特定用户以进行高级频谱管理。他们还使用随机算法和机器学习技术快速适应破坏性事件。此外，RI内的小区设计使用RF和混合信号电路、天线和组件来捕获破坏性短脉冲事件，这些事件可以通过宽带信号的交互随机发生，或者由于对网络的故意攻击而发生，从而支持自适应和弹性通信。其结果是一个更强大和更有能力的无线通信网络，为无线内容和使用方面的进一步创新提供动力，从而提高用户的满意度。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

We have all come to expect faster and faster download speeds every year from our hand-held devices – a kind of Moore’s Law for wireless communications bandwidth. To maintain this relentless increase in data rates we need to harness every technological feature available to us, and utilize it to the maximum extent. A particular challenge is improving wireless communications in enclosed environments, like a room or building, where the signals reverberate in a chaotic manner and appear to be hopelessly scrambled, as compared to free space propagation. One approach is to use a programmable wall or ceiling-mounted pixelated surface to literally mold the reverberating waves to increase the data transfer rates to targeted receivers. The science and technology of reliably improving the data rates is the subject of this work. This science is advanced through intelligent use of the random reverberant properties common to all enclosed spaces, combined with wave control enabled by our programmable pixelated surfaces. The outcome is further improvement of wireless communication data rates even in situations where present-day technology is severely handicapped, or fails to operate altogether. This project provides enhanced infrastructure for research and education by developing a multi-institutional effort sharing the proven techniques and experiences of all partners, thus intertwining engineering culture and liberal arts culture.The extraordinary complexity and sensitivity generated by multiple scattering and the consequent interference of many ray paths in spectrally crowded reverberant settings is typically considered anathema for resilient communications and spectrum management. This effort aims to invert this narrative, by developing novel reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) that take advantage of this complexity to harvest the enormous number of environmental degrees of freedom in order to actively modify, and control, the electromagnetic environment. The developed RIS is able to manipulate, both spatially and temporally, the wavefronts reflected from them in order to create hot- or cold-spots in real space, and they enable frequency-shifting of signals to specific users for advanced spectrum management. They also rapidly adjust to disruptive events using stochastic algorithms together with machine learning techniques. In addition, cells within the RIS are designed using RF and mixed signal circuits, antennas, and components to capture disruptive short pulse events that can occur randomly through the interaction of broadband signals, or due to a deliberate attack on the network, supporting adaptive and resilient communications. The outcome is a more robust and capable wireless communication network that fuels further innovations in wireless content and usage, resulting in increased satisfaction for the user.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.